The 2020 SA Schools Championships was held at Thorndon Park on Friday 28 August, postponed from the original date in May (and we all know why). It was a fabulous day, with great weather, and many enthusiastic students, although with lower numbers than previous years as schools were cramming many postponed sporting events into Term 3!

All results are available here – Overalland Splits

And all; courses can be reviewed here in Route Gadget

The points in the schools trophies were as follows:

Primary Schools - Williams Trophy - 

1) Goodwood PS with 65 points
2) Hawthorndene PS with 26 points 
3) Stirling East PS with 23 points 

Secondary Schools - Wale trophy-

1) Heathfield HS with 45 points
2) Trinity College with 14 points
3) Marryatville HS with 12 points.

Congratulations to all the participants. 

Thank you to all the teachers / responsible adults who helped with school entries for this  2020 SA Schools Orienteering Championships.   In particular

Zita – Organiser - Time for a short rest ????
Course Planners - Clive and Marion Arthur - Superheroes !  Attention to detail!
Controller - Robin Uppill - In spite of being very busy, found time!
Special consultant - Ken Thompson - Can't help himself!
Finish Computer -  Al Sankauskas and Trevor Diment - To the rescue. Appreciated!
Starts - Craig Colwell and his team  - Award for best set up design.
Finish - Erica Diment and her team - How good was this finish!
Pink Hat Brigade - Clive and the 8 amazing PINK HAT PEOPLE - They got to enjoy the sunshine!
Fi - Fairy  Woman Extraordinaire - When you want a job done well!
Jeffa - Best to handle the sob stories.
Rego - Handled the hoards well.
Pungangga Pavilion - Keren - Friendly undercover efficiency.
Peter  - Our first COVID marshal - Great outfit!    
Barry / Des - Early to start -   last to finish!
Evalin – Collating entries, This adds to your CV.    

In these troubling COVID times, Zita as organsier would like to THANK all the TEAM that contributed towards the SA Schools Orienteering Champs 2020 to make it such a successful event.

Renmark Orienteering Weekend 7-8 September.

Sunday 8th September provided the opportunity to Orienteer on the Crooked Straight map near Renmark, that was used last year for the national championships. The event was organised by Yalanga.

The weather was perfect for the 90 competitors and the courses were worthy of a State Champs set by Peter Mayer with oversight provided by Bob Smith as Controller.

The terrain of a sandy plateau dropping to the flood plain of the River Murray allowed for fast running in places through scattered bush, apart from where the loose sand slowed progress. Careful navigation was required on a map which allowed for many route choices and great competition.

Rob Tucker

 How is your OY point score going? Two OY events will be   available on the weekend of 17-18 August at two locations in   the mid North.

 For details about Saturday 17 August in Paradise go   to  https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/7859

 and Sunday 18 August at Mulga Valley https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/8630

 Beautiful mallee country just 3 hours North of Adelaide.

Bush camping at Mulga Valley, or stay in historic Burra.

Sustenance will be provided by the Junior Squad: drinks and cakes on Saturday, and also cheese toasties on Sunday.

Entries close Wednesday 14 August.                                                                                       

 Make sure you pre-enter for discount and     guaranteed map!

Long Champs at Mulga Valley

The Long Champs was held at Mulga Valley on Sunday 19^th August.  For full results, badge splits, winsplits, splits browser and route gadget go to the Results Page.

Jeffa Lyon set the courses on the mallee map featuring complex erosion gullies and drainage systems and was ably assisted with legwork by John Lyon, Bob Smith, Gil Hollamby and Phil Hazell for course checking and control placement.

Eighty five people participated in the courses and there was lots of congregation around the prototype display stands being trialled at the event with live results.

OHOC also perfected their start procedures, having lots of practice in late starts with TT members who were helping, SA runners who didn’t make their start, and their own members who started after their official start times. Looking good for the nationals.

It was a “testing time” for many – with the prototype results stands (built by John Nieuwenhoven) being used for live results for the first time, and Aylwin Lim’s “cup return” also being used by those who took a drink after their run.

With the camping at Bri Glen, this was a wonderful opportunity to return to the bush, enjoy some quality orienteering and relish time with great orienteers for company.

Thanks to TT members for their assistance, and to OHOC and Peter Mayer (controller) for your efforts assisting.

by Erica Diment Organiser

SA Interclub Relays, Sunday August 26^th, Moon Rocks

All orienteers are invited to come out and run around Moon Rocks between Tungkillo and Palmer on Sunday August 26^th at the club relays hosted by the Southern Arrows, South Australia’s elite orienteering squad.

All you have to do is to form teams of 2 – only one member of the team has to be a current financial member of your club - and let your club secretary know who you want to run with. It’s also possible to form teams where nobody is a club member (enquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) although then your team won’t count towards the interclub trophy.

As was done last year, we have removed any age limits and the choices are simply: men’s, women’s and mixed age classes on 4 different courses, which are approximately:

·         6km hard (split into 2 x 3.2km)

·         4.5km moderate/hard  (split into 2 x 2.3km)

·         4km moderate (split into 2 x 1.9km)

·         2km easy – each person runs once only

It’s lots of fun, and there will be prizes! For further information as it becomes available, go to: https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/6780

And from the last time the relays were at Moon Rocks:

Marne Rocks middle distance OY event.

Despite the forecast of nasty weather, the weather held off and Marne Rocks surprisingly sparkled with sunshine on Sunday morning, although unbeknown to most of the gathering, a strong breeze blew over the hill! Marne Rocks hadn’t been used for orienteering since a bushfire had swept through the area about 4 years earlier, which burnt away fences and killed many trees, leading to major changes to the map that was originally produced by Irena Palmer in 1991. Given these issues and problems contacting several key landholders, Steve Cooper decided to set a middle distance OY event.  He set very entertaining and challenging courses in detailed rocky country.

Each course had numerous short legs in the rock detail and changes of direction, requiring good focus, and then some faster easy navigation sections linking properties. (He even put out controls on his birthday!) Hopefully, everyone had a fun time and practiced some middle distance orienteering techniques ahead of the Nationals carnival, where the SA Middle distance champs will be held nearby on a new Keynes Gap map. Steve Sullivan did a great job vetting the controls, with organisation of the event ably provided by Dave and Ruth Nicolson, and with SI set-up provided by Gerry Velaitis. The weather was even kind to all the Yalangan volunteers who collected the controls and packed up at the end. The predicted rains did not fall until we were packed up on our way home!

Many thanks to Yalangan helpers Rob, Doug M., Doug F., Anne, Nigel and Leila, to the landholders for allowing us to use their properties, and for a very kind thank-you email from a happy competitor “Great and enjoyable courses, organisation and weather today. Well done to all involved in arranging today's event.”